Huff's 8 shutout innings halt Tribe slide

Jun 24, 2009 - 3:16 AM
By ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH(AP) -- During another horrid ninth inning by a bullpen
that can't be trusted with a lead of any size, manager Eric
Wedge probably thought he was watching yet another game get away
from the Indians. Maybe his job, too.

Only this time, and the Indians aren't exactly sure how they
pulled it off, this late-inning meltdown didn't wind up as a
loss.

Jhonny Peralta homered and drove in three runs to support rookie
David Huff's eight shutout innings and the Indians halted a
six-game losing streak, overcoming their latest bullpen collapse
to beat the slumping Pirates 5-4 on Tuesday night.

The Indians, who blew a pair of five-run leads and a seven-run
lead during their losing streak, led 5-0 going into the ninth
before nearly giving up another big lead. The Pirates scored
four times and loaded the bases before Adam LaRoche, who homered
to start the comeback, flew out to right field on a 3-2 pitch by
Kerry Wood to end the game.

"We knew we weren't going to get the W the easy way," Wood said.
"It was ugly, but we got it done."

And they didn't. LaRoche was mad at himself for swinging at ball
four, although he barely missed connecting on the pitch.

"When we're in a stretch like this, you know it's going to take
a ball bouncing your way or something going your way," Wood
said. "They had me on the ropes, and he just as easily could
have not swung at that, walked him and tied it up. I feel like
we got a little help with that last at-bat."

For one of the few times, Cleveland had power, starting pitching
and defense in the same game, one that began amid speculation
Wedge's job might be in jeopardy. The Indians dropped seven of
eight to fall a season-low 13 games below .500 and they came
precariously close to another bad loss.

"Got the last out," a relieved Wedge said. "That's the important
thing."

Grady Sizemore returned from a three-week stay on the disabled
list with an inflamed elbow to hit a two-run triple during a
four-run second inning against Ian Snell (2-8) that included
Peralta's two-run single. Sizemore also made an excellent
over-the-shoulder catch of Robinzon Diaz's drive to the warning
track in the fourth.

"The triple, the catch in center field, you could feel his
energy out there," Wedge said. "We're a different ballclub with
him in the lineup, no doubt about it."

"We were dead the whole game," LaRoche said. "We've had so many
games go into the seventh, the eighth with four or five hits,
and it's not against Cy Young pitchers. We've got to do more
damage early and not rely on getting the setup guy and the
closer every night."

Despite the comeback, the Pirates lost their fifth in a row and
sixth in seven games to slide eight games below .500 for the
first time this season. That's one reason the first interleague
matchup in Pittsburgh since 2003 between the two rival cities
drew 19,109, less than half PNC Park's capacity of 38,496.

The Pirates had only one extra-base hit, Wilson's double in the
fifth, among their four hits against Huff (3-2), who struck out
two and walked two in the longest of his nine career starts. His
previous high was 7 1-3 innings against St. Louis on June 12.

By contrast, Snell - coming off his first victory in 11 starts -
couldn't make it out of a 50-pitch second inning in which he
yielded three hits and walked three. Snell lost his sixth in
seven decisions, throwing 41 of 70 pitches for strikes while
yielding four runs and four hits in 2 2-3 innings.

"He really hasn't been very good all season," manager John
Russell said.

Notes: Peralta homered leading off the sixth against Evan Meek.
... Despite allowing two hits and walking two in two-thirds of
an inning, Wood was credited with his ninth save in 13
opportunities. ... Cleveland is 4-9 in interleague play,
Pittsburgh is 4-6. ... The Pirates' 67-109 record is the worst
since interleague play began in 1997.

MLAT PITTSBURGH - SCORING UPDATESOLO HOME RUN BY ADAM LAROCHE (10) TO RIGHT CENTER WITH 0 OUT IN THE 9TH OFF MATT HERGES.CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 5, PITTSBURGH 1DUE UP FOR PITTSBURGH: R DIAZ (.281, 1-FOR-3)

MLAT PITTSBURGH - SCORING UPDATESOLO HOME RUN BY JHONNY PERALTA (4) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT IN THE 6TH OFF EVAN MEEK.CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 5, PITTSBURGH 0DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: L VALBUENA (.229, 0-FOR-2)